Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s , Valentine’s Day:  the past four months always include some of the best holidays for spreading love and cheer.  But what if you wanted to keep the celebration going?  Well, you can!  It turns out, there is a holiday every day of the year., 

I celebrated a unique and niche holiday each day for one week in order to satisfy my holiday-withdrawal and bring attention to these fun-spirited celebrations. As the week was finalized, it became clear that these holidays deserve more acknowledgement.

To start off the week, I celebrated National Ice Cream Day on Jan. 2 by eating a cone of vanilla and chocolate swirled soft serve. This festivity was created in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan and has been celebrated for 37 years in order to commemorate the sweet treat. 

Halcyon Day was up next, on Jan. 3. Traditionally, Halcyon Day focuses upon happy reminiscing of meaningful memories. This holiday is rooted in the story of the Greek legend, the halcyon (kingfisher) crafting its nest in mid-December. I commemorated my past by looking through childhood photos on this day. 

I celebrated Wear Your Pearls Day on Jan. 4. On this day, I wore pearl earrings that my friend had given to me as a Christmas gift in year’s past. This holiday surrounds optimism in light of how pearls are originally sand. Bestselling author, DeAnna Bookert’s experience conquering depression and symbolizing that with pearls led to the creation of this day.

The fourth holiday I celebrated was arguably the most delicious. Maple syrup day began on Jan. 5 with a plate of waffles and Log Cabin maple syrup on top. This mysterious holiday has few origins, but that does not diminish its importance. Discovered by indigenous peoples in the United States through the sap on maple trees, maple syrup is a breakfast sauce that is older than our country.

Device Appreciation Day on Jan. 5 was much needed to further display gratitude for the devices we use constantly. I don’t think I dropped my phone once on this day. As old as our modern day technology, this holiday is underrated in a device-dominated world. 

Looking for an activity to celebrate Evergreen Day on Jan. 6 wasn’t difficult for me since I had to get an evergreen in my own living room for Christmas. This holiday is simply to remind one to get a Christmas tree which would have been very helpful had I forgotten. In the meantime, I appreciated how this tree has leaves in all seasons and has symbolized Christmas for centuries.

Lastly, Still Need to Do Day on Jan. 7 was much needed due to the end of the quarter quickly approaching. Because I was too busy appreciating evergreens to complete assignments, this holiday was a perfect way to end the week. Still Need to Do Day is meant to encourage final need-to’s prior to the New Year. It’s really thanks to this holiday that my homework is completed.

Each of these holidays allowed me to embrace a celebration I was previously unaware of. With creating something to commemorate each day for a week, I learned about various traditions while feeding my love of holidays. I recommend that others address the holidays all around us more frequently as they may expose you to a tradition you weren’t previously aware of.